Car-platform



(No Model.)

L. S. MANNING.

GAR PLATFORM.

Patentedeb. 27, 1894.

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PATENT Tries.l

LEMUEL S. HANNING, OF CHICAGO, ILLNOIS.

CAR-PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,600, dated February 27, 1894.

Application led July 27, 1893.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, LEMUEL S. MANNING, of

` Chicago, in the county oi' Cook and 4State ot' Illinois, have invented a new and useful lmprovementin Car-Platforms, of which the fol` lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in the platforms of railway passengerl cars, and has for its object, to provide a self-adjusting extension or apron for the fixed platform of a car, which will bridge the space that intervenes between the ends of two coupled cars, and afford a continuous passage-Way from one car to another, thereby conducing to the safety of passengers and employes of the railroad, who have occasion to pass from one car to another While the train is in motion.

To this end my invention consists in the con struction and combination of parts, as is hereiuat'ter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ot this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure l, is a plan view of a detached car platform having the improvement. Fig. 2, is a reverse plan View of the improved platform. Fig. 3, isa longitudinal sectional View, on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. et, is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 4--4 in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, is a transverse sectional view ou the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

The two side timbers A, provided for the fixed car platform, and shown broken away at their inner ends, are end portions of longitudinal frame timbers of the car for which the platform is provided, said timbers in complete form being extended an equal distance at each end ot the car body (notshown), to afford a platform at each end as usual.

The side beams A, are held spaced apart and parallel by the transverse timbers B, which are secured thereto by any preferred means, thus producing a rectangular frame for the reception of the platform iioor.

Upon the beams A, a floor C, is imposed andsecured, there being a marginal strip a, introduced at each side along the door edges, and between the beams and floor, so as to pro Serial No. 481,626. (No model;l

duce similar channels c, which are open along the inner side of the beams, at the side and rear, for the introduction of an apron D; and for the intermediate support of the door C, a longitudinally extending frame bar A', is secured by its ends to the cross timbers B, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5.

At a suitable distance from the inner side' of each beam A, a tubular spring case E, is secured by its ends to the crosstimbers B, these cylindrical cases having their front ends extended through orifices formed in the front cross-timber at such points as will correctly space the cases apart and disposed in planes parallel with each other and with the side beams A, as shown in Fig. 2.

Preferably there is a radial dange d, formed on or secured to the rear end of each spring case E, which anges are attached to the face of the rear cross timber B that they impinge upon, the other flanges e, being produced on the front ends of the spring cases that are fastened to the front side of the forward cross timber, so as to retain the cases E, in position on the frame of the fixed platform and adapt them to stiften said frame as well as to receive other parts of the improvement.

A front louder block F, is furnished as a support for the dat apron D, that is secured upon the upper surface of the block and projects a proper length rearwardly from the same, the side edges of the apron being preferably convex curved as shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. l.

TWO guide rods G, G', are loosely connected to the buffer block F, and extended therefrom at such points as will permit the rods to slide freely in the spring cases E. The bodies of the guide rods are cylindrical, and for a proper length from their rear ends are reduced in diameter, to permit the loose mounting of the spiral sprin gs I on these diametrically reduced portions, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4, the length of the springs being such as will allow their front ends to bear on the shoulders g, formed on the rods by their reduction, While the rear ends of the springs press upon the rear cross timber B anypreferred means for loosely securing the rear ends of the guide rods in sliding connection with perforations ICQ of said timber being provided, washers and cross pins being shown, but a screw nut may be used on each :rod if desired.

There is a furcation produced on the front end of each of the guide rods G, G', these forked end portions being made to loosely embrace the louder block F, on its upper and lower sides.

The front edge of the buifer block F, is incurved as at h, in Fig. 2, and an anti-friction roller t', is pivoted between the forwardly projecting ends of the forked limbs of the guide rod G, which roller is looselyintroduced Within the space produced by the incurving of the buffer block, the periphery of the roller being in engagement with the incurved wall h. The forked limbs on the front end of the guide rod G', also loosely embrace the upper and lower faces of the buer block, and are thereto pivoted as shown at m, the forward edges of the limbs mentioned being oppositely and rearwardly sloped from the center line of the pivot and limbs, a proper degree to aord play for the vibration of the buffer block on the pivot bolt m.

There is an abutment plate msecured to the front of the buffer block F, opposite the limbs of the guide rod G the sloped edges on the latter loosely pressing upon the platein service.

The apron D, is of such a length as will allow its rear end to yenter the space produced by the strips a, between the floor of the fixed platform and the side beams A, and move in it without improper looseness, and to facilitate thelateral rocking vibration of the louder block F and apron D, the block is cut away in arched form opposite the limbs of the rods, as represented in Fig. 2.

In service, the projection of the buffer block F and apron D, in advance of the fixed platform of a car having the improvement, will adapt the apron to bridgefthe space between said platform and one on a coupled car that will have its fixed platform impinged by the buffer block at the front edge.

The peculiar construction of parts of the improvement permit the apron and buffer block, to accommodate themselves to the side movementof the cars when in transit over the road, so that the apron will be maintained in connection with an adjacentplatform on a coupled car while the cars are on a curve, as effectively as if on a straight line, the yielding of the springs I, conducing to such a result.

It is evident that when two cars having the improvement are coupled together, the apron D, of each fixed platform will coact to form a continuous platform on straight or curved sections of a railroad over which the cars are drawn.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with a xed car platform, of a buifer block at the front of the platform, a flat apron thereon extending below the i'loor of the platform, a guide rod forked at its forward end, embracing the buffer block and pivoted thereto, a mating guide rod parallel thereto, an anti-friction roller on said guide rod loosely engaging an incurved" front edge of the buffer block, spring cases on the fixed platform loosely engaged by the rods, and springs on the rods and within the cases,snb stantially as described.

LEMUEL S. MANNING.

Witnesses:

WM. P. PATTON, E. M. CLARK. 

